Clinical Anatomy MSc

Human anatomy is a core component of undergraduate medical degree programs, as well as programs allied to medicine such as radiography and physiotherapy.

However, the relative amount of anatomy taught in these programs is considerably less than in years gone by, and there are limited opportunities across the UK (and further afield) for medical and dental students to gain an in-depth knowledge of human anatomy beyond their core programs.

We have established this program not only to directly address this deficiency but also to offer an opportunity for graduate entry-level medical/dental students to enhance their clinically relevant anatomical knowledge and research skills significantly.

Aims

There are three main aims of the MSc Clinical Anatomy program, providing you with:

• the opportunity to gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of clinically related human anatomy by dissection
• a comprehensive understanding of the anatomical basis of clinical subjects, including surgery, radiology, and histology
• experience of undertaking a cutting-edge anatomically/clinically-related research project

The program’s principal educational and clinical aims are specifically to give you thorough knowledge in all aspects of anatomy, including:

• gross anatomy
• embryology
• neuroanatomy
• anatomical imaging

You will also gain knowledge in clinical-related subjects including radiology, histology, and surgery, to the level of being competent to teach these elements to medical students and students in professions allied to medicine.

Why Edinburgh

The unique elements of this program are:

Hands-on cadaveric dissection

You will gain a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of human anatomy by dissection. This strand will involve the dissection of a body in groups of three to five students over two semesters.

A major component of this course involves self-directed learning. When there are no scheduled lectures or tutorials, students are required to spend their time in the lab, fully engaged in the process of dissecting and learning anatomy from their assigned dissected body.

Additionally, there will be regular "surgeries" where teaching staff will be present to offer guidance and support during the dissections.

Bespoke modules covering anatomical aspects of radiology, histology, and surgery

The knowledge gained will enable you to:

• understand and apply basic anatomical principles underpinning surgery, radiology, and histology
• locate and identify key anatomical structures, including major clinical phenotypes, on medical images
• identify and interpret light microscopic histological images of core human tissues

A clinically-orientated research project

This will provide you with an opportunity to gain a more in-depth working knowledge of a particular aspect of clinically relevant anatomy.

Complementing these three strands will be a lecture-based Medical Law and Ethics course.

You will learn:

• the health and safety of embalming procedures and handling bodies
• the legal and historical aspects of anatomy in Scotland and the UK
• an introduction to the ethics of using bodies in medical education

You will also explore clinical techniques used to image the body.

The research project allows you to gain a more in-depth knowledge of a particular aspect of anatomy and to present your findings by writing a dissertation.